Electrical condenser



ELECTRICAL CONDENSER Original Filed Jan. 23, 1925 Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE;-

J'OHN A.' PBOOTOR, OF- LEXINGTON, AND WILLIAM M. BAILEY, OF LYNN, MASSACHU- SETTS, ASSIGNORS T0 WIRELESS SPECIALTY APPARATUS COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK ELECTRICAL CONDENSER,

Original application filed January 23, 1925, Serial No. 4,150. Divided land 1926. Serial No. 115,716.

This application is a division of our application, SeriahNo. 4150,, filed January 23, 1925.

This invention relates to improvements in a plurality of sections insulatedfrom one 'an-,

other by insulating sheets betweenthe sections in the stack and connected in series with one another by connections outside the stack.

Among the various objects of the invention is that of providing a structure which is an improvement on the special type wherein the stack is contained in a substantially or more or less tubular casing which consistsof insulating material preferably such as p0rcelain and which is provided with metal ends which serve to clamp the stack under high compression inside the casing, to complete the enclosure of, thestack and to serve as electrical terminals at high potential difference which lie at opposite ends ofthe structure separatedfrom one another by the insulating walls of such casing.

The drawing is a central vertical section of an embodiment of the invention. I

In the drawing the "series-connected sections (shown diagrammaticallyy of stack S. 1

' are insulated from one another by ,wide mica sheets as usual, each section consisting 'ofaltern'ating mica sheets and foil sheets. "This results in a high potential difference across the end sections of the stack when, asusual, the foils-projecting from opposite ends'of eachsection are soldered or fused to the like foils of adjacent sections. I

In this invention, the casing for stack S consists of a tube I of porcelain, such material being that heretofore extensively employed inhighi potential insulators, but here serving as the casing for stacks, The open. ends of this porcelain casing are closed by metal end structures. 1

Stack S may be embedded in wax inside the tubular casing. Casing I maybe formed with corrugations K3 to increase the flash- .pver characteristicbetween the condenser ter- 'ous) surface of. easing I,

this applieati on' flled it 14,

minals. A high potential lead MP is brought out through a hole incasing I from a midpoint of the stack S, so that the ends. of the stack are at low and the same potential. Top and bottom metal collars P and. 'LC, andalso insulating casing I, are formed with registeringholes filled with cement SU anchoring the collars to the casing. Metal end caps or covers L andN close they ends'of casing I, are provided with flanges as shown by which they are secured by any suitable means to the insulating casing I as by threaded engagement with collars P and LC respectively as shown, and said caps or; covers receive pressure screws PSoperating on bear-,

ing plates BP at the two ends of the stack.

Thus end caps or covers L and N constitute both'the sealing means for the stack and also themeans for transmitting the compression strains to casing I as the tension member of the stack-clampingsystem as via collars P and LC. Heretheexterior glazed (vitrecorru atedat CU, serves to insulate, with a high ashover, the high potential terminal MP from the metal end structures. I I

The bottom end member N preferably is of malleable iron, and is one of the compression 'members of the clamping system for stack S. The outside wall of the lower end of easing I is (at TC). slightly tapered out-,

wardly and downwardly andis corrugated, or substantially roughened 6r grooved, as

shown; The inner wall of collar-LC is correspondingly cooperatively taperedgi. e inwardly I. The tapered and corrugated, portion of the porcelain casing is unglazed so as to take and upwardly, that is, opposite to the V casing-taper. It also is roughened or cor-' the cement most eifectively. -With this construction, the only wa thereafter to sepa-' rate casing I and end "is to crush or dig out the cement ,SU. End N closes and seals the ilower end of easing, I. For SU, we: recommendneat Portland cement,

On topand bottom of stack S'are placed metal bearing plates BP. Stack S may be stack sect-ion.

embedded in paraflin wax or submerged in oil; but owing to the insulation provided by glazed porcelain casing I between the metal ends of the stack and midpoint MP, the only function required of the wax or oil, if used. is to prevent fiashover from stack section to Stack S may lie as close as desired to the interior wall of easing I, so that a compact over-all structure is permitted. The exterior wall of easing I is glazed, save at the tapered cemented portions. The inside wall of easing I is unglazed to permit intimate contact by wax or oil, it used to seal along the inside wall against. moisture and prevent leakage path between terminals.

The metal top construction, as shown, is similar to the above-described bottom construction. A malleable iron collar L is ap plied to casing I as by the means shown and described above for end memberN. The ends of easing I and of the metal end members L, N should be parallel to one another. (using I preferably is provided with the corrugations, skirts or petticoats K3 which increase the leakage distance of high potential fiashover from one metal end L or Nto mid-point MP over the glazed porcelain exterior of easing I. The glaze seals the porcelain pores (not present when casing I is of the typeof glass such as baking dishes, etc. are made of as permissible) and assists in shedding water and dirt. The skirts, in addition to increasing the fiashover distance, also assist in shedding water and dirt and provide surfaces beneath them which are protected from access of moisture and dirt; and they serve to increase-the mechanical strength of the porcelain casing, in this sense constituting a thick casing wall with or without substantial thickness of the rest of the casing wall. This condenser unit. is a weatherproof and waterproof highpotential condenser which is designed for outdoor service with adjacent high tension lines. It is an im- I portant feature of the corrugations in the term of skirts K3 that, as distinguished from the location of ordinary condenser casings under an insulating canopy, the spaces beneath and inside the skirts of condenser casing I do not permit of birds nesting.

Between the top of stack S and the upper end of easing I, and between the bottom of stack S and the lower end of easing I, are spaces X which provide tolerance for stacks S of varying length and substantially the same capacitance; pressure screws PS being sufliciently long for this purpose. The bottom of stack S may rest directly on bottom N. The two metal end structures need not be duplicates as shown.

Before the application of the cover-plate L, the pressure-plate BP is applied. This plate BP (with screws PS) clamps stack S under high compression of the order of a thousand pounds more or less per square inch of active area of the stack. Screw PS is carried by end L when the latter is screwed on collar P, screw PS entering the centering hole shown in pressure bearing plate BP. Then screw PS is turned further down thru end L, putting stack S under the desired pressure, and finally screw PS is sawn off, as shown, flush with the top of top end L. Said further ad 'ustment of screw PS pushes end L upwardly,'the strain coming on the two threads of end L and collar P. Since collar L and lower end N are rigid with casing I, the latter thereby becomes the tension member of the stack-clamping system.

Casing I, while preferably of porcelain (i. e., vitreous at least on its surfaces, as the outer surface) may be in some cases of other insulating material such as glass. of the aforementioned type and the like, having at least a'surface which is vitreous. Porcelain, however, is preferred for the weather-proof form, and porcelain is better for this type of condenser generally on account of its strength which is availed of in special ways by this invention, the structural weakness of the porcelain in other respects being sufficiently discounted by adequate thickness of the casingwalls as shown in proportion, and the proper structure for. cementing of metal end structures "as above. In practice, this condenser unit has dimensions which over-all and in detail are larger by several times than the dimensions of the drawing. The outer surface of porcelain casing I may be corrugated in other ways than the skirting K3.

This structure provides a strong clampingcasing of insulating material, notwithstanding the fact that the material itself is structurally weak. In this structure there are no metal parts save the stack-armatures (foils), the end structures and mid-terminal MP. There is ample leakage or fiashover path over an ideal insulator (I) between the parts of high potential difference. Mid-terminal MP may be omitted and the end structures constitute the terminals of high potential difference. By virtue of the special construction disclosed herein, the strength of the porcelain is utilized and its structural weakness is minimized. The metal ends perform four functions, (1) compress the stack; (2) serve as condenser terminals; when midterminal MP is omitted they serve as localizers of electrostatic fields at the opposite potential ends of the stack; and (4) they serve as means b which successive condenser units may e mounted together end to end, the ends L and N being permissively adapted in structure .L'OI that purpose in any desired convenient form. On account of the insulation provided by porcelain casing I, the problem is entirely eliminated which has been involved in series sectional high potential condensers in connection with the insulametal stack-casing out through which such having opposite end openings;

terminal extends from the stack.

The condenser unit herein described is designed for low current service (at high potential) and therefore there is provided no special means for heat-dissipation other than the metal end structurs and the insulating filler as wax or' oil when used. In other and b higher current uses of the invention, however, such special heat-dissipating means may be incorporated as desired by the ,designen' Thecondenser units hereof are designed particularly for outdoor use in arrangements of plural units, as high potential, low-current condensers for coupling carrier-wave transmitting apparatus to a high potential transmission line, Assume a three-wire power line for direct current with neutral wire or for three-phase alternating-current) which is employed also to convey lower power carrier currents at radio frequency, transmitted, say, from a radio transmitting transformer and received at a distant radio receiving transformer; these carrier currents being used on one side of the power line, with earth connections therefrom via the radio apparatus. The line may carry power currents of the order of tens of kilovolts. The potential across each of a plurality of condenser units may, be over twenty thousand volts. The function of the apparatus shown is to provide a good path for the radio frequency carrier currents but at the same time a poor path for the higher voltage line current, keepmg the latter from access to and thereby injuring the radio apparatus including the transformer coils.

I In the claims the specification of "the easing as porcelain is intended to appropriate all patentable novelty as'to such specific material itself in addition to other materials of-functional equivalency in the several combinations of the various claims. Casing I preferably is vitreous at least as to its exterior surface and when of glass of course is entirely vitreous.

We particularly poiht out and distinctly claim the part, improvement or combination which we claim as our invention or discovery, as follows 1. The combination with an electrical con-. denser stack, of a porcelain casing therefor a metal clamplng terminal closing one end of the casing; a metal collar secured to the outsideiof the easing at its other end; and a metal cover closing the said other end of the casing, secured to said collar, and transmitting stack compression strains to the casing as a tension member.

2. The combination with an electrical condenser stack and a porcelain casing therefor hitting an end opening; an exteriorly threaded metal collar extending around the outside lateral wall'of the casing adjacent the end opening thereof; a metal cover closing said casing opening and interiorly threaded, thereby engaging said collar; and a clamping device extending between the stack and saidcover, compressing the stack and transmitting stack-clamping strains to the casing y way of the cover and collar.

3. The combinationwith an electrical condenser stack, of a porcelain. casing therefor having an end opening; a metal collar extending around the outside wall of the casing adjacent the end opening thereof; a metal cover closing said casing opening and secured by screw-threads to said collar; and a clamping device extending between the stack and said cover, compressing the stack and transmitting stack-clamping strains to the casing by .way of the cover and collar.

4. The combination with an electrical condenser stack, of a porcelain casing therefor formed with an end opening; a metal end member adjacent the end of the casing wall around the casing opening, and formed with an integral flange extending along but outside of the casing wall near the end opening of the casing; a stack-compressing device located inside the casing between the stack and said end member and arranged to tend to force said and member away from said end of the casin wall; a metal collar located between said ange and the adjacent portion of the casing wall and secured to the flange; and

cement binding said collar to the casing wall.

5. The combination with a series sectional condenser stack, of a porcelain casing there-' for having two opposite end openings and a lead-opening intermediate said end openings; metal end members secured to the casingand constituting parts of a mechanical system clam ing the stack and'comprismg a clamping evice located inside the casing between 4 the stack and oneof the end-members; and a lead from the midpoint of. the ser1es-sectional stack and extending out thru said in- I termediate casing member.

6. The combination with a stack of electrical condensersheets, of a porcelain casing therefor having opposlte end openings; a

the casing; a metal collar at the other end of the casing; and a metal cover closing the said other end of the casing, secured to said col- 7 signatures.

I JOHN A" PROCTOR.

WILLIAM M. BAILEY.

metal clamping, terminal closing one end of 

